Re/Leased (Doms of the FBI Book 5)

by Michele Zurlo

  David hugged her harder. “She came out of the coma? That’s wonderful news.”

  Autumn squirmed until he eased up, and she shook her head. “Few minutes.”

  “I’ll find her. For the record, if anyone asks, she’s my sister-in-law.” Dean threw her a two-finger salute and left, closing the door behind him.

  “MarySue, can Autumn have some water?” Jesse pulled up a rolling stool and sat down.

  MarySue pushed him back, stool and all. “After I get this IV going.” She eased Autumn from David’s grasp. “Sir, I’m going to need you to step back so I can work.” The nurse had courage where the doctor did not.

  Reluctantly, David moved to stand next to Jesse until the nurse finished poking around Autumn’s arm for the vein that would prove the most painful target for her evil needle. Autumn had always disliked needles. This experience sealed the deal, and now she officially hated them. Another nurse brought a Styrofoam cup filled with water. Apparently nobody had informed the hospital how bad it was for the environment.

  When she was gone, Jesse rolled closer. “Let’s have it, Sugar. What happened?”

  “Son of a bitch.” David pushed Jesse, sending his stool careening into a machine that beeped in protest. “No. The next one of you who calls her that is going to get his ass pounded.”

  Jesse lifted a brow. “That sounds like sexy fun. Autumn may not want to share you that way, though.”

  Autumn tried to laugh, but it hurt too much. She sipped water, and the cool liquid soothed her throat.

  “There we go,” Jesse said. “There’s that smile. Now let’s hear it. Any details, however small, are crucial in helping us catch the person who did this.”

  Agent Rossetti came in then, accompanied by Agent Adair. Autumn’s heart plummeted because the last time they’d appeared together, she’d spent three nights in jail. She didn’t want to go back.

  Keith wore a very serious expression that wasn’t quite a scowl. “We have some questions, Autumn. I know you’re tired and your throat hurts, but as Jesse said, any detail can be crucial. Start at the beginning.”

  “Stephanie.” She looked meaningfully at Jesse. He’d seen the woman talking to her while he’d been tailing her. “Brakes.”

  Jesse searched the photos on his cell, and then he gave it to her. “Stephanie Ceichelski?”

  Autumn nodded. “Had gun. Partner with Summer.” She sipped more water, but her throat was as soothed as it was going to get. “She called him Dearest. Let me talk to him. He described Summer, read in her chart that she woke up.” Remembering the threat to her sister’s life hurt worse than her throat. “I hid most of the pills in my cheek, but I had to swallow some. She stayed until I passed out.”

  David held her hand, lending silent support as she answered questions that both Keith and Liam posed. He grunted when she mentioned that Stephanie had confessed to setting her up, and he held her water cup nearby so she could sip frequently.

  When she finished, Liam put away his notepad and rubbed his hands together. “Gentlemen, I know you’d like nothing better than to get out there and go after this couple, but I have to warn you against interfering in our investigation.”

  Keith nailed David with a firm glare. “Stay with Autumn. We’ll call if we have news.”

  All four men shook hands, communicating warnings and counterwarnings with manly grips and two-handed clasping.

  When they were gone, Autumn turned to David. “Did you find out anything on your trip?”

  He shrugged. “We have account numbers and passwords, but no way to link them to a specific person.”

  Jesse paced. “Ceichelski is long gone. She’s done this before, so she knows how to have an exit plan. I need to search her place. I’ll get Malcolm to focus on analyzing the evidence with an eye toward nailing this bitch.”

  David’s phone rang. “It’s Dean.” Ignoring the No Cell Phone sign, he picked up. “How’s Summer?” Pause. “That’s great to hear. I’ll tell Autumn. I’m sending Jesse to you. He has news.” Ending the call, he faced Autumn with a brilliant grin. “Summer is no longer in a coma. She woke up about an hour ago. Dean spoke with her for a little while, but now she’s sleeping. He’ll call the moment she wakes up, and I’ll take you to see her.”

  Stunned, Autumn shook her head. “I don’t believe it.”

  “You think I’m lying?” David scowled. “Damn it, Sugar. I thought we were past that.”

  “No, I—” Words wouldn’t come. Her brain stopped working, and she cried. She had nothing for herself, but plenty when it came to Summer. The sound of a single clap snapped her out of it. She glanced up to see Jesse standing next to David, and the pair glared at one another.

  David rubbed the back of his head. “What was that for, asshole?”

  “She’s in shock, and you’re trying to make it about you. This is why you two keep fighting. You don’t listen to each other, and you’re too defensive.” Jesse took her hand between his. “Autumn, it takes a special woman to put up with David for any length of time. It’s a good thing you’re special.” He kissed her cheek. “I’m going to debrief Dean. Don’t break his heart while I’m gone.”

  She stared at the door for several seconds after it closed behind Jesse. “I like him. He’s a little gruff, but when you get to know him, he’s really sweet.”

  He sat next to her hip and took her hands in his. “I’m sorry, Sugar. I need to learn to read you better. I don’t usually suck at that, but when it comes to you, my common sense short-circuits. We got off to a rocky start, and that was mostly my fault. Apparently I fell in love with you the moment I saw your picture, only I failed to realize it.”

  It felt like she’d waited a lifetime to hear those words. She lifted a trembling hand and cupped his cheek. “I love you too, Sir.”

  He covered her hand with his, cementing their bond. “I was confused. The holes in your history made me look for lies where there were none, and then the clues Stephanie left that made it look like you were the thief—I interpreted everything wrong. You asked for time, and I didn’t give it. You gave yourself to me, and I didn’t treasure your gift the way I should have. Can you forgive me, Sugar?”

  She already had. “Love the man, love his flaws. We’re going to argue, Sir. We’re going to fight. I’ll always be a smart ass, and maybe you’ll learn to be patient. Can you live with that?”

  “Yes, but I’ll never release you again. That was a mistake, and I don’t make the same mistake twice.”

  Happiness filled her, but now that she felt safe and secure, exhaustion overwhelmed everything else. With a smile on her lips, she closed her eyes for a second.

  The hospital sent her home in the morning with a warning that she’d be tired for a couple of days. David rubbed a crick from his neck—the result of having slept in the single, uncomfortable chair—and helped her into the wheelchair.

  “I can walk,” she protested.

  David pushed her from the room. “Indulge me, Sugar. Let me take care of you.”

  She relaxed and let him take control. “We’re not leaving yet, you know.”

  “That’s why we’re going to the elevators. Dean said Summer woke up a half hour ago, but a team of medical people have been in there the whole time.” He leaned down and kissed her cheek. “They might not let you in right now.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “Or I can take you home, give you a shower, make lunch, eat it naked.”

  She laughed at the image he presented. “I’m very tired, David. You might be destined for disappointment if you want to scene.”

  “Take a naked nap,” he continued. “We could see where that leads. Is your throat still sore?”

  “Yes, but it’s getting better.”

  “I’ll make you some hot tea with honey. It’s imperative that you heal completely.”

  “Oh, definitely. I’ll invite Darcy and Malcolm over. We can have another contest.”

  He pressed a brief kiss to her lips. “I love you.”
/>   She laughed. “I love you too.”

  As soon as they emerged from the elevator, Jesse greeted them. “You’re looking better.” He looked David up and down. “You look like you slept in a chair.” Jesse, of course, appeared well-rested.

  Autumn reached for his hand. “Jesse, have Keith or Liam called with an update?” Nerves squeezed her windpipe. Had they arrested the woman who’d set her up and tried to kill her?

  His grin faded. “No. She fled. There’s nothing at her house, and her car was found abandoned in a parking lot near the airport. They’re checking the security feeds to see what flight they got on.”

  “Cayman Islands.” David spat the location. “It’s where their money is. Judging by their account history, they’ll spend some time there before they start traveling and spending like crazy.”

  “Let’s find out for sure, and then we’ll set up a mission.” Jesse scratched his chest. “Dean went to the hotel to crash. He stayed up all night. I guess Summer woke up a few times.”

  “Did she ask for me?”

  “Dean told her that you weren’t feeling well, and that you’d sent him to watch over her. He might have told her stories about his many adventures, and some of those might have been graphic or sexual in nature.” Jesse shook his head. “Hopefully she wasn’t too traumatized.”

  Autumn couldn’t imagine what Dean might say that Summer would find shocking, though she could think of a few things Summer might say that Dean would find shocking.

  They ran into a gaggle of doctors emerging from Summer’s room. When they tried to sidle past, David and Jesse spread out and used their presence to keep them from escaping. The doctors appeared momentarily flummoxed.

  “Oh, for Pete’s sake, David.” Dr. Wycoff pushed past the larger men in front of her. “They’re doctors, not assassins.”

  David and Jesse let the doctors leave, and then David greeted Dr. Wycoff with a hug. “Hi, Tess. Thanks again for taking Summer under your wing.”

  Dr. Wycoff held her hand out to Autumn. “What happened to you?”

  Autumn waved away the concern. “Some serial killer decided it was my turn. Good thing my boyfriend is a mercenary.” There was no way David wasn’t going after Stephanie and her accomplice.

  Dr. Wycoff pushed a tangle of black frizz out of her eye. “That explains the big guy who spent the night with Summer. I’m glad you’re okay.” She looked to David and Jesse. “Did you catch him?”

  “Her,” Jesse corrected. “Not yet. That’s next on the agenda.”

  “Okay. Cool. Well, your sister is going to be fine. After the test results came back last night, I modified the meds, and she came out of the coma. We’ll keep her on the meds for a little while, due to the nature of the beast, but in a few weeks, we’ll wean her off them.”

  Autumn clasped her hands to her heart. She’d waited so long for this news. “You’re sure?”

  “Yeah. Absolutely. Of course, it’ll take time to figure out what else happened. It’s not uncommon for coma patients to suffer small strokes, and we won’t know what physical or mental capabilities are left intact for some time. She’ll need intensive PT before she’ll walk again, but preliminary testing turned up no atrophy.”

  Her nefarious activities were now fully vindicated. Those small thefts had paid for extra physical therapy, which had been necessary. Autumn grinned, and David shook his head.

  “What’s next?” David asked. “She’s not staying here for long, is she?”

  “She’ll need to be in a residence-based rehab facility for at least six months.” Dr. Wycoff looked directly at Autumn. “I’m not going to lie—it’s expensive, and insurance will only cover a portion of what I recommend.”

  David put a hand on Autumn’s shoulder, but he addressed Dr. Wycoff. “Do whatever she needs. Send the bills to SAFE Security.”

  “David, I can’t let you do that.” Autumn tried to rise from the chair, but he held her there with one hand.

  “Sugar, I don’t recall giving you a choice.” He used his Dom voice, and the glint in his eye promised that he wasn’t playing around.

  She settled back into the wheelchair. “Can I see my sister now?”

  As soon as David stopped the chair, Autumn sprang up and tackled Summer with the kind of hug only a little sister can give. Summer managed to move one arm to weakly hug her back. They’d removed the feeding tube, but lines led from under the hospital gown to various pieces of blinking and beeping equipment, and she had an IV in the arm she wasn’t using to hug Autumn.

  “I love you,” Summer whispered. “Thanks for not abandoning me.”

  Autumn eased back. “I’d never leave you.” David pulled a chair close for her to sit on, and then he guided her into it with a firm-but-gentle pressure that let her know she had no choice. “Summer, this is David, and that’s Jesse. David is my boyfriend, and Jesse is a friend of his. You met Dean already.”

  A light blush bloomed on Summer’s neck and ears. “Dean. Yes. He’s a smooth talker, that one.”

  Later, when David and Jesse weren’t listening, she’d ask for details. David squeezed Summer’s hand. “It’s nice to see you awake.”

  The corner of Summer’s mouth quivered with an attempted smile. “It’s nice to be awake.”

  Jesse leaned against a wall, crossed his arms, and nodded a silent greeting.

  “He’s the strong, silent type until you get to know him.” Autumn winked at Jesse. “Then you find out he has a marshmallow heart.”

  “Is it your shift as my bodyguard?” Summer tried to joke, but Autumn could tell the effort it cost to utter each word. “And what’s this I heard about a serial killer?”

  Autumn’s eyes widened. “Dean told you about that? What the hell is wrong with him?”

  “You said it. In the hall. The door was open.” Summer closed her eyes for a long second, and the effort it took to open them was obvious. “I hate being so tired. I slept for three years. Jesus—three years. I can’t wrap my head around that. Serial killer?”

  Autumn wasn’t going to make her sister say more, but she wasn’t quite feeling up to sharing the whole story. She glanced at David, sending a silent plea, which he understood. “A woman has been setting your sister up. She made it look like Autumn embezzled a bunch of money, and then this woman planned to kill her, make it look like suicide, and get away with the cash. Only your sister was too smart.”

  Losing the fight, Summer closed her eyes again. “You’re okay?”

  “Yes. I’m fine—a little tired, like you—but fine.”

  “Autumn?”

  “Yeah?”

  “Where’s Dad? He wouldn’t leave if I was in the hospital.”

  She hadn’t been prepared for this. Her hopes had centered around fantasies that involved Summer waking from a coma, not on what would happen afterward. She swallowed the lump in her throat. “Dad didn’t make it.”

  Summer opened her eyes slowly, and it cost her much energy. “That’s what I thought. He didn’t suffer?”

  She shook her head. “It was immediate.”

  “Good. I’d hate for him to suffer.” Her eyelids drooped. “Tired. Sorry.”

  “Don’t be sorry. I’m going to go home and get some rest, and I’ll come back later, okay?” But Summer was already asleep. If David hadn’t been there, she might have cried, but his presence gave her the strength to trust that the doctor was right—Summer was going to take a nap, not slip back into a coma.

  “I’ll stay,” Jesse said. “Go on home. I’ll call you when she wakes up.”

  “Thank you.” She hugged Jesse and got back in the wheelchair so David could take care of her.

  Chapter Twenty

  David drove to her apartment. “Do you want to get your things, or do you want to stay there?”

  Sitting in his passenger seat, she stared up at the door to her apartment and appreciated that he was being so thoughtful. What she wanted now was very different from one week ago when she’d warned him about needing space. “I w
ant to be where you are.” It was more than not wanting to be alone. She needed proximity to her Sir.

  “I can stay here with you. I didn’t get a ton of sleep last night, so we can take a nap. I can see how tired you are, Sugar.” He regarded her with a gentle smile.

  She nodded. “I don’t want to go to your apartment because I don’t want to see your dad. I’m very upset with him.”

  His laugh roared through the vehicle. “That’s priceless. Dean moved all my things while I was gone. We’re renting a suite at a hotel.”

  That sounded nice. “Let’s get my things, then. I don’t particularly want to be in my apartment after what happened.”

  He held her hand the whole way, and when they arrived at her door, he held his hand out for the key.

  She stared at his empty palm “I thought you had it.” She tried the door and found it unlocked. “My car is still in the lot. That’s a good sign.”

  “We might have been too focused on getting you to the hospital to remember to lock up. I’ll go first anyway. You stay here.” He entered carefully, and when he returned a few moments later, he shrugged. “It looks the same to me.”

  Autumn found nothing changed—except the picture with the image of her staring into the desert was missing. “She took a photo of me.”

  “A trophy.” David put an arm around her. “It’s common for serial killers to keep something from their victim. We’ll get her, Sugar. We’ll get it back.”

  She threw a bunch of clothes into her lone suitcase that she’d salvaged from a discard pile at a yard sale. It had needed some repair, and she was handy with a needle and thread. As an added safety measure, she extracted her irreplaceable treasures from their hidey-holes in the floor. David took the suitcase, which freed her up to get the shoebox of photos and the manila envelope she hadn’t yet touched.

  David nodded toward it. “Do you still hate me for that?”

  She shook her head. It wasn’t his fault. She’d blamed the messenger and misconstrued his intentions. “I haven’t looked at it.”

  “That’s okay. It’ll keep for when you’re ready.” He stowed her things in the back of his SUV. “I should probably tell you that Keith took the DNA evidence he collected during processing to test against what’s on file.”